FIERCE
by PitFTW
Summary: *For Souldin's contest* The organization FIERCE has conquered the Smash World, stamping out all who may threaten their reign. Now, in a world without heroes, a new force must rise to defeat them. But things aren't always as they seem... Alternate Ending!
1. Prologue

Prologue

**This is an entry for Souldin's Assist Trophy contest.**

**Special thanks to my good friend Archsage Julz and my other good friend Inugami for helping me with this story.**

**Let's begin.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Super Smash Brothers series.**

* * *

><p><em>October 17, 5732<em>

_Year of the Mani Katti_

_Midnight_

"Come on!" the boy ordered, grabbing the three year old girl by her thin hand as he dragged her along the blood painted streets. Small and thin though he was, the boy- with his fiery red hair and piercing blue eyes- carried himself with the pride of a great nobleman. In fact, it was said that the blood of great lords ran deep within his veins and that his ancestor was a general, whom at a young age led a huge army to defeat an unspeakable evil.

At six years old, he was the last in his line.

"Eli, where are we going?" the girl asked. She was ignored by the red- head as he kept charging through the streets. The scenery rushed by her so quickly that it was almost impossible for the young girl to discern any of it. She was exhausted and utterly confused, but she kept running. Eliwood had told her that no matter what happened they had to keep running.

FIERCE was coming.

She didn't know what FIERCE. That word had been mentioned several times by her mother, Madelyn, for the past few months. But being only three years old, the girl had no idea what such a word meant to her. She didn't know if they were evil or good, powerful or weak.

She just knew she had to run from them.

Because her parents had said so.

Because Eliwood had said so.

Because no one else did.

_BAM!_

She saw them. They like a shooting stars streaking across the night sky. There were three of them, all trailing long steaks of white smoke against the midnight sky. There were other things coming out of them as well. Long, colorful bolts of light. The bolts were fired rapidly from these strange shapes and all of them left a trail of smoke when they slammed into the ground.

"THE ARWINGS!" Eliwood shouted. "RUN!"

Run? But haven't they run enough? She didn't understand. In spite of her doubt, she allowed herself to be grabbed and forced to run some more. She was tired of this, though. She wanted to go home.

Her parents would be waiting for her…

It was rather strange how her parents had sent her out. It was unexpected, almost spontaneous. She and Eliwood were having a playdate when the doorbell rang. Her mother had answered it. It wasn't long until her father ran to the door as well.

They had a visitor. Although she wasn't able to catch a glimpse of the person's face, she was able to see quite clearly that the person carried a weapon of some kind. There had been talking, then shouting, then pointing at her and Eliwood. Her parents almost never fought. Then, the next thing she knew, Eliwood had grabbed her hand and pulled her through the back door and out into the streets.

She remembered hearing her parents screaming. They sounded like they were hurt. She hoped that momma hadn't cut herself while chopping potatoes again. She had looked over her shoulder and saw her parents on the ground with the visitor standing over them.

Why were they sleeping if they had a guest over?

Suddenly, Eliwood skidded to a stop. "NO!"

There was a person right in front of them. He was standing just outside the ring of light the dim streetlamp hanging above them provided. As a result, his face was shrouded behind a great veil of shadow. However, his blue eyes glittered maliciously at them and a sneer was all too evident in them. When he spoke, his ice cold voice sent a chill down the girl's spine.

"Did you two really think you could get away from me?"

Eliwood's free hand curled into a fist. "Stay away from us!"

She cocked her head, confused. Her friend had never been so rude before.

"Really? You in what army, kid?" a smile appeared on the unknown face, gleaming white in the dim light.

Eliwood took a deep breath, but said nothing. The girl noticed that he seemed to brace himself, his knees bent into a ready position. Any moment now, he would lash out like the young warrior he was and take this guy down.

The man's smile seemed to widen at this. He quickly snapped his fingers. Another figure suddenly appeared behind them, appearing so quickly that they caught the girl by surprise for a moment. This one had a thin, lithe body and moved with the fluidity of a snake. A long ponytail trailed down her back, blowing slightly in the breeze. In the dim light of the lamp, her red eyes glowered menacingly at the two young children.

Another snap.

A figure appeared at the girl's right. Tall and imposing, it was easy to see that this person was not one to mess with. Not only did his muscles bulge out from him like over-sized footballs, but a gun also gleamed at his side. The girl felt Eliwood tense up at the sight of this man, knowing that there was no way he could ever take on someone like this.

A third snap.

Now a figure appeared at Eliwood's left. Although this person was considerably smaller than either of the two men or the women, he was still one to be reckoned with. Within his hands, he carried a pair of sharp blades that gleamed evilly at the two children, taunting them with their sheer sharpness and beauty. Two golden bracelets were wound around his left wrist, still covered in the blood of the person he had most likely stolen them from. But perhaps the most unusual feature about him was the two… things growing out of his back. For a moment, the girl believed that these were wings. Perhaps he was an angel come to save them…

"So Boss, kill 'em both?" the angel asked, leering at them. His voice was like that of a spider. Sweet and full of sugar, but lacking music and direction. Eliwood gritted his teeth and shot each of them a defiant look. The man called "Boss" laughed.

"I like the boy's attitude, annoying though he is. But he's too smart. He knows too much… understands too much… no way in Hell we'll be able to get him to join…"

"And the girl?" the woman asked. Her voice was silky, seductive almost. The girl felt her hot breath on her neck as the woman leaned down and gently scraped her fingernails along her scalp.

"… Take her. She is young… valuable… just look at her… she thinks this is some kind of party…"

The muscle man chuckled. "You got it, Boss."

They started closing in…

"NO!" Eliwood leaped at the first man. "I WON'T LET YOU HAVE HER!"

_Shink!_

The next thing the girl knew, something warm and wet was all over her. She looked down curiously, wondering why the water was so warm. Her friend had something sticking out of him, but "Boss" yanked it out. That was awfully nice of him.

She wrinkled her nose as Eliwood simply lay there. He had just had something taken out of him! He shouldn't be sleeping now!

But something struck her. This wasn't right. Eliwood shouldn't be sleeping like this. She shouldn't be here, surrounded by these people. She should be home, with her parents…

She broke down crying, but she didn't know why.

"What's your name, Child?" the woman asked, gently running her fingers through her hair.

She sniffled and hugged the woman's leg. "L-Ly-Lyn-"

"What does it matter what her name is?" the angel asked. "She's going to get a new name either way."

"Pit!" the woman said sharply. The edge in her voice was like a two edge sword. It only made the girl cry harder.

"Momma! I want my momma! MOMMA!"

"Hush, hush…" the woman crooned, pulling her closer.

"We're your family now…"


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

_April 17, 5762_

_Year of Blazing Swords_

_6:29 AM_

She was floating…

She didn't know why or where, but she was floating…

It felt good…

She couldn't remember anything in her past thirty-three years that felt this good. In fact, she was absolutely sure that she hadn't slept a wink since that raid of Magvel back in 5750. It had been one of her first real tastes of what the organization did. She remembered she had been nervous, stressed, and excited all at once. But after that raid… after gazing with her own eyes the things that happened on raids and attacks like those…

She hadn't slept a wink.

"Mani, wake up…"

She saw reflections of the past swirling past her. She could remember her time in FIERCE, from when they had trained her into becoming the woman she was today. It had taken exactly thirty years for her to finally reach this point today. But no matter how hard she tried, she never seemed to be able to truly reach the top.

She could see herself as well. She could still see herself as the little three year old girl. The earliest memory she had was sitting in a chair as strong hands forced milk and fruit into her mouth. She remembered the sharp red eyes of Sheik leering menacingly at her as she ate and the rather unpleasant sound of Pikachu's laughter through the air every time she spilled fruit juice on herself.

"Mani, you stupid bitch, wake up…"

She could still see herself from back then. She had been an extremely skinny girl back then, hardly fit to lift a sword. Her dark eyes used to well up with tears every time Captain Falcon would slap her across the face when she made a mistake or her dark green hair was almost ripped right out of her skull for sneezing out of turn. But FIERCE had drilled into her what tears represented. Tears meant weakness.

And weakness meant death.

"Mani, wake up," a gruff voice said, piercing the soft dream world she was in. "Wake up, girl! What are you, a Hero?"

Hero…

That word had long become an insult, the most serious of its kind. You were only called a Hero if you were particularly lazy or simply didn't do what the organization asked. Although the word was mostly used in slang, if FIERCE officially marked you a Hero, you were pretty much dead. All those marked to be a Hero would be tortured to the point of insanity before being killed. She had seen this many, many times in her life.

In fact, she had done some of the torturing herself.

"Wake up, Mani!" the voice was angry now. She had to get out of here soon. "Wake up, stupid bitch! Get the Hell up, you Hero!"

She opened her eyes. The steel ceiling of her room greeted her. Mani gently pushed the bleach white covers from under her chin and stretched. It had been a long night for her and she had the feeling that this was going to be an even longer morning. The communication screen in front of her was turned on, revealing the face of one of the senior officers of FIERCE.

Despite being over 40 years old, he still carried the look of a boy. True, it was the look of a boy with numerous scars all over his face and an eye patch of his left eye, but a boy nonetheless. A messy mop of brown hair upon his head was topped with a gold circle of olive leaves. According to him, it was a trophy from his homeland, the continent called Skyworld. Out of his back grew two strange outgrowths, a mutation of sorts that had apparently caused some sort of stir in his homeland when he was much younger. Such a disturbance had driven him to the very brink of insanity, eventually leading him to not only kill every single being in Skyworld, but to also help found FIERCE with Boss.

It was said that he was once referred to as an angel. In fact, it was also said that his codename was once "Angel". But whatever had happened over the years to change this had left him a mere shadow of what he once was. He was completely ruthless and spiteful, despite his sweet looks. The one piercing blue eye that was not covered by an eye patch was filled with bloodlust and cruelty. It didn't surprise Mani when she learned about five years ago that he held the record in FIERCE for most women defiled.

After all, who could resist such a sweet face?

_Codename: Pit_

"It's about time," the older man growled, looking upon Mani's just woken up form with utter disgust and contempt. "Boss wishes to speak with you and you're still sleeping in!"

"Forgive me, Sir," Mani replied, bowing to him. "I didn't mean to…"

_Age: 47_

"THERE ARE NO EXCUSES!" Pit barked. Not for the first time, Mani was thankful that he was talking with her via communication screen. "YOU ARE TO MEET WITH BOSS IN EXACTLY SEVEN MINUTES!"

_Preferred Weapon: Dual blades_

"I shall be there as quickly as I can, Sir," Mani said curtly, quickly making her bed. Despite her grogginess from being woken up so suddenly from her rest, she knew that if she wished to be promoted to the next division in FIERCE, she had to be the very top in her current division.

She quickly pulled out her uniform: a teal customized traditional Chinese dress, high boots and gauntleted gloves. Without even looking up, she knew that Pit was watching her every move. He had a very, very nasty habit of not logging off to allow his underlings the privacy to change.

He probably didn't care.

_Division: Smashers_

More than anything in the world, Mani wished that she was in Pit's division: the Smashers. It was composed of the meanest, toughest, roughest, cruelist members of FIERCE. Many agents younger than her had been promoted long ago and many older than her had been promoted as well. She had been living in the FIERCE headquarters since the raw age of three and working for them as an agent and as a warrior since the age of 18.

She was the only one in the Assist Division eligible for the next job. The rest were either too young or too stupid or too Heroic. But she wasn't. She filled every need of the job. She had been trying for it for the last thirty years. She wanted this job more than anything in the world.

_Position: Commander over the Assist Division_

"Better make it quick," Pit said lightly. From the movement of his eyes, she could tell that he was currently eyeing her curves. "… You know, if you weren't so damn Hero-like…"

"Thank you, Sir," Mani interrupted quickly.

"DID YOU JUST INTERRUPT ME?"

_Current Status: Active_

"No… I mean yes… I mean… forgive me, Sir!" Mani squeaked. It never did anyone well to interrupt Pit like that. It was said that even Boss was just a bit afraid of the angel-like man's rage.

"… You must meet Boss in exactly six minutes," Pit hissed. "You're quite lucky that Boss seems to favor you, Mani. If I were in his position…" he trailed off, allowing the threat to hang in the air for a second before logging off.

Mani slowly let out the breath she had been holding from the moment he started shouting at her, thankful that she would not have to see him anymore this morning. It was bad enough that she had to deal with numerous idiots in her own division, especially ones that didn't see how her skill as a tactician had landed her a top job in the Assist Division. But to have her seniors yelling at her as well?

It didn't matter. What truly mattered right now was that FIERCE had been kind enough to raise her from an extremely young age and teach her all she knew today. It had been within the organization walls that she was raised and she only ever ventured outside them when the Assist Division was sent out on special missions, scarce though they were. When Red, a former Assist Division member had been promoted to the Smasher Division, Mani had seen hope for her. After all, Red had been younger and of lower rank than her at the time. Surely she should be able to elevate herself if she just tried hard enough.

Mani walked out into the hall and started towards Boss' chamber on the north side of the building. She passed a great many rooms along the way and in almost all of them, she was able to hear the battle cries and the sickening crunching of bones that the new recruits were forced to go through before they were placed in a division.

"Mani, out and about, I see," a silky voice said from behind her. Mani suddenly became aware of footsteps following her. They were extremely light and lithe, so soft in fact that the sound they made would only be heard by the most sensitive of ears.

"Miss," Mani said curtly, turning around and bowing to the tall blonde woman before her.

_Codename: Samus_

"Where are you going at such an hour? Shouldn't you be freshening up in the Spike?"

The Spike was the Assist Division's training room, often crowded with Smasher hopefuls such as Shadow and Knuckle Joe. It was called such because someone (probably Little Mac) had installed numerous spikes on the ceiling as well as the walls. If you were slammed against the wall or the ceiling, you would be impaled by the spikes. Sadly, Little Mac's addition to the room did little to help him with his dream of becoming a Smasher.

_Age: 52_

It was strange how even at her age, Samus was still an amazingly beautiful woman. Her clear skin, gray-streaked blonde hair, and sharp blue eyes were usually among the first things one saw about her. Her rather large breasts and curvy body was also quite the treat for the men. Heck, even the men in FIERCE often swooned over her as she passed. And this body was only helped by the skin-tight blue body suit she always wore.

She was one of the few FIERCE members that had absolutely no scars whatsoever. It was said that she kept some kind of special concoction that kept her face scar-free, but Mani never really believed those rumors.

Some people were just born lucky.

_Preferred Weapon: Powersuit or Plasma Gun_

"I have been summoned by Boss, Miss," Mani said, careful not to let her annoyance show. She wanted to get to the meeting as soon as possible. If she was late, it was quite possible that Boss would simply slice off her head right then and there.

Five minutes to go…

_Division: Smashers_

"There should be no hurry to see Boss," Samus said, lightly fingering her gun. Mani watched her slim fingers caress the trigger for just a moment before looking away. It never did any good to anger the woman.

"I… Forgive me, Miss."

"I hear you are aiming to become a Smasher, no?" her tone was still light, still airy. But there was something behind it that made Mani's blood run cold. It was a slight nudge, almost a threat. How dare she dream of elevating herself?

_Position: Examiner of Promotional Test_

"It… it is one of my greatest goals, Miss."

A smile stretched its way across the woman's face. It was the smile of an agent of FIERCE. One that lacked the warmth and honest purity that had long been associated with the smile of a Hero.

"We'll see, won't we, Child?" the woman sneered. "Run along, now. The Boss is in a rather wrathful mood this morning…"

_Status: Active_

Mani bowed and quickly sprinted off at her words, a lump forming in her throat. She had only about four minutes left to get to Boss. And if he was in a wrathful mood, like Samus had claimed, then Mani would be in a whole lot of trouble if she didn't make it in time. She bit her lip and immediately shot off down the corridor.

The doors burst open at her touch. Mani was a strong woman, despite her slim build, and the fact that she was determined to get to Boss' chambers as quickly as possible only served to increase the force she used to push the doors open. She had only been in this office once before and she was surprised that in the thirty years since she was last here, it had not changed a bit.

A huge desk stood at the far end of the room, with two uncomfortable wooden chairs across from it. The enormous window in the back of the desk was still covered in the same tattered velvet curtains that had been stolen long ago from a little red boat. The window was overlooking what was once known as one of the greatest megalopolis' in the world, now nothing more than a broken ghetto that had long been drained of its beauty. Upon the desk stood a model of Newton's Cradle that clinked menacingly with each passing second. That cradle had been stolen from an old knight, who had tried (quite pathetically) to defend a huge golden tower that happened to be sacred to the city they had been attacking. It was said that Boss himself had cut the man down and taken the Cradle as a trophy.

Off to the left side of the room was a pair of huge doors, most likely leading to Boss' bed chamber. On the right side were three huge cabinets, all of them containing a great array of things from weapons still caked in blood to items such as boomerangs made of the rarest woods and powerful death rays that not one person in FIERCE had been allowed to use. Many of them were said to be trophies that Boss had picked up back in his younger days, before he stopped going on FIERCE missions.

Mani had not been there on that mission, as she had been much too young back then, but Pit had told her the story. They were set to invade a metropolitan known as Lylat, to not only recruit three particular recruits- Fox, Falco, and Wolf as Mani later learned- but to also steal the blueprints for a mass weapon of destruction that was simply known as the "Landmaster". However, during this mission, one of the new recruits had slipped up and almost ruined the entire thing. As the FIERCE organization members were surrounded by Lylatian police, the Head of the Smashers Division at the time had caused a diversion, sacrificing their own life to save the others.

Ever since then, Boss never went on another mission.

_Codename: Boss_

"There you are, L- Mani," a cold voice muttered from across the desk. Mani frowned, noticing the slight slip of the tongue. Most of the older Smashers occasionally slipped with her name. She would've understood such occasional mistakes, if it had not been for the fact that every slip-up started with an "L".

_Age: Unknown_

Mani watched as the huge chair across the desk whirled around, revealing the shadowed figure of a man seated upon it. Every part of him was hidden from Mani, except for the startlingly blue eyes. These eyes were the one part of Boss that Mani and many others had ever been allowed to see. Somehow, no matter how bright the background window was, Boss' features had never been illuminated enough for anyone to really make them out. All Mani could tell was that despite his supposed age, Boss was still a tall and muscular figure.

"Sit," he said curtly, gesturing sharply to one of the wooden chairs. Without a single hesitation, Mani obeyed.

_Preferred Weapon: Blade_

"I suppose you're wondering why you are here," Boss said quietly, leaning forward so as to have a better view of her. She hated how those malicious hawk-like eyes seemed to cut right through her. It was as if he was reading her mind.

"… Yes, Sir," Mani responded. She didn't wish to say anything else for fear of offending him.

_Division: None_

"I have reviewed your application to join the Smashers Division," Boss began, pulling a sheet of paper out of a folder on his desk. "And compared to the other idiotic pieces of idiocy that the others have chosen to turn in, this is almost decent."

"T-Thank you, Sir," Mani whispered.

"… That was not a compliment, stupid Hero."

_Position: Head of FIERCE_

"Unfortunately, your application was also the only one that didn't kiss my ass. As a result, I have discussed with Samus and she agrees that because of your utter stupidity and lack of athletic talent, we are forced to instead devise a new sort of exam for you," Boss snapped coldly. Mani was forced to bite her lip to keep from crying out at his harsh words. "If you are unable to complete a simple a task as to what I am about to assign you, your life will be forfeit. Is that clear?"

Mani stood up suddenly, all discipline gone from her. "W-What? Why? What is the meaning of this?"

_Current Status: Retired_

Boss' ice cold eyes became even colder at her outburst. When he spoke, his every word pierced her heart. "You have been in this organization for thirty years, Mani… but in those thirty years, not once have you ever become a Smasher… what is more, your senior officers report to me that your behavior as of late has been… _heroic_..."

"Never!" Mani growled. "I have never, ever acted like a Hero! To be a Hero means disgrace! It means disloyalty to the very organization that has been like a family to me for thirty years! It means-"

"QUIET, YOU STUPID HERO!" Boss roared. He pounded fist on his deck, his right hand pointed right at Mani. "EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT A HERO, YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THE ORGANIZATION! NUMEROUS TIMES YOU HAVE ATTEMPTED TO JOIN THE SMASHERS AND EVERY TIME THAT HAS HAPPENED YOU HAVE FAILED! FIERCE SHALL NO LONGER TOLERATE YOUR HEROIC BEHAVIOR, MANI KATI! YOU SHALL COMPLETE THIS TASK AND PASS THE FINAL EXAMINATION TO BECOME A SMASHER OR YOUR HEAD SHALL BE SERVED TO ME UPON A SILVER PLATTER!" with one swift motion, Boss gave her a powerful backhand across the cheek.

Mani took a deep breath to steady herself despite the stinging pain currently blooming upon her left cheek. Despite his mistreatment of her, there was no way Mani could ever hit Boss back without forfeiting her chance to become a Smasher as well as her life.

She bowed to him. "Boss, I shall take whatever task you assign me…"

That seemed to settle him down as Boss now pulled a file out from a drawer in his desk and threw it at her. "In there is the file of your assignment. You are to train the youth described within and make him strong enough to be able to take over your position in the Assist Division. It should be a simple enough task for one who claims that she is not a Hero."

Mani bowed to her commander. "It shall be done, Boss."

He waved her away. "You have one month to complete your assignment. Do not fail, else your life be forfeit to me…"

**Anyone wish to take a guess as to who Boss is?**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_April 17, 5762_

_Year of Blazing Swords_

_17:00_

Alone in the Hall of Infamy, Mani rose her eyes to the heavens, as if she were praying. It had been a long, hard day for her and it seemed that this was the only place in the entire FIERCE base that she felt at peace. In fact, it was the _only_ room that did not have a communicating screen, so none of her superiors would be able to bother her… for the time being.

In front of her hung the great portrait of the former Head of the Smasher Division, Link Gaiden. Link had founded FIERCE alongside Boss three decades ago. In fact, this Link Gaiden was the _same_ Link who had betrayed his home country, Hyrule, and allowed it to fall to ruins.

He was a legend among the FIERCE cadets. His name was often whispered and revered like that of a god. He had been the nastiest, the cruelest, and above all, the _fiercest_ warrior anyone had ever seen. He had killed so many people, a massacre of an entire city was considered gentle for him. He had defiled so many women that it made Pit's own record look like nothing but trash. His prowess in battle was so great that it was said that he was Boss' one great fear.

Mani knew his past from the stories Sheik had whispered to her as she was tucked in for the night when she was a little girl of three. Link was once a great Hero, said to possess a legendary sword that could vanquish any evil that should touch it. He was the foremost knight of the realm of Hyrule and the most beloved of all men.

But then, he fell in love.

Falling in love was a _heroic_ thing to do. It was _so_ heroic, in fact, that the word had not been uttered by a single member of FIERCE since the organization's beginning thirty years ago. There was no _love_ in a world with no Heroes. There was only _lust_, one of the seven deadly sins that FIERCE championed.

The woman had been a vile, hateful creature of glacial beauty. She had been the exalted Zelda, Queen of Hyrule. It had been for _her_ that Link had protected Hyrule so fiercely. He had loved her more than anything in the world, but no matter how hard he tried, how _fiercely_ he had defended Hyrule, she would always deny him the promise of her love.

It had been a huge blow to FIERCE when the great man perished in the legendary battle long ago. And Boss, especially, took the loss quite hard.

The woman looked over her assignment for perhaps the eighth time that night. As much as she hated to admit it, she was quite nervous. It wasn't the assignment itself that was daunting her, but it was in fact that even after thirty years of dedicated service to the organization she had long come to call her family, FIERCE would willingly _and_ mercilessly take her life in a blink of an eye.

The young man whose picture she held was rather interesting, to say the least. He wore a light blue tunic and leggings of the same color. A rather plain looking brown belt pinched his waist and leather boots encased his feet. To top it all off, a vivid yellow scarf was draped around his shoulders like a cape, emphasizing his piercing blue eyes and sandy blonde hair. All in all, he was a rather strange looking character and from the expression on his face, a _heroic_ one as well.

Mani spat in disdain. Heroes had no place in FIERCE. If it weren't for the fact that her life rode on his fate, she would have burnt this picture and slit his throat as soon as she met him. Unfortunately, things only got worse for the woman as the _creak!_ of the door indicated that someone was coming in.

"I have been… expecting you," Mani said through gritted teeth. Her sharp ears picked up the slight start of surprise as the young man registered that she had known who he was without even turning around. Even now, Mani could picture quite clearly in her mind the _heroic_ blue eyes widening in shock and one boot-encased foot taking a step back.

_Name: Isaac Vale_

"There is no need to be… afraid," Mani said tightly. "I promise, I am not here today to hurt you."

She heard his sigh of relief.

_Age: 16_

"Well… it's nice to meet you, ma'am," Isaac said. Mani heard his approaching footsteps. "I must say, it is an honor to meet you, and-" as soon as Mani felt his hand on her shoulder, her elbow shot out and caught him neatly in the stomach. Before the young man could so much as gasp, she whirled around and applied her foot to his tenders. He fell to his knees with a cry of pain, looking up just in time to see Mani's sword at his neck.

"… Oh… I take it that you're big on personal space…?"

_Preferred Weapon: Long Sword_

"Don't you _ever_ touch me again," Mani hissed. She knew that she would dislike the boy from the moment she had laid her eyes on his picture. It was all too evident that, with eyes like that, he would be all too _heroic_ for FIERCE. Above all else, Mani hated heroism.

It was, as Sheik had told her, what had cost her parents their lives.

Isaac held up both hands in surrender, but much to Mani's chagrin, his eyes sparkled as if this was nothing but a mere joke. "I get it, I get it… now will you kindly stop pointing that thing at me? It's getting a bit uncomfortable, you know."

_Division: Assist_

"… You disgust me," Mani snapped, sheathing her sword. "Why in the world should I be wasting my time on someone like you? I have things to do, you know."

Isaac let out a barking laugh. "Trust me, sister, I'm not too hot on the idea of spending a year or so with you. Especially if you're inclined to stab me every time I open my mouth."

_Position:_ _None_

"Don't you _dare_ speak to me in that way!" Mani snarled. "In the name of the great Mani Kati, I'll have your head!"

There was a strange light in the youth's eye as she said that. Something that looked almost close to recognition flashed across his face for a moment before the reckless grin curled up again on his features. There was just _something_ about that grin that caused Mani's blood to boil. Just like in the picture, it was all too _heroic_.

"Say… you seem… familiar…"

"Shut up," Mani hissed.

"… Have we met before?"

"… You are an idiot of 16. I am much older than you, boy," she tried to adopt the cold, foreboding tone that Boss had used against her so often. "You are nothing… _nothing_!"

"… You know… the way you tackled me… it was sort of similar in a way to… what's-his-name… Lord Hector. Man, he was great! He could take down an entire army by himself, probably! He was my-" Isaac cut off as he felt Mani's blade prick his throat even more deeply than before.

"Don't. You. Dare. Use. That. Word," Mani snapped, carefully enunciating each word she smoke.

Isaac held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Whatever you say, Miss… mind getting off me now?"

_Current Status: A pain in the ass_

**The contest is almost over… and there's still more left for this story! AHHHHH! I better get writing!**


	4. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three_

_**Mission Log: Mani**_

_**April 30, 5762**_

_First mission with Isaac. We had to call up Triple D and demand a share of his profit. Idiot thought that he could cheat FIERCE out of his drug sales again. _

_Isaac rushed right on in and demanded the money. The Waddles opened fire on us immediately. He ducked right when I ran in. _

_I thought I saw someone as I was running in. The guy didn't look like he had a gun or anything. But when I looked back, whoever that was was gone. Eh, probably just my imagination. After all, bullets were flying everywhere._

_Triple D won't be issuing anymore drugs, that's for sure. His entire empire and fortune now belong to FIERCE. Isaac got some light cuts. But I got wounded in the shoulder._

_Bastard._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Mission Log: Mani<strong>_

_**May 3, 5762**_

_Raided Zora's Domain for supplies. Ralis pissed off Boss. As a result, his people must suffer._

_Isaac refused to collect anything. He gave most of what we were supposed to take to a bunch of kids. All we got was a small red fish. And even then, he gave that fish to some random beggar guy in the streets. The guy was kinda weird. He didn't talk like a beggar._

_He had nice teeth._

_There's something about that Isaac kid that pisses me off. He's way too heroic for FIERCE. He should be dead or starving in the streets right now, not be given the honor of being part of the most powerful organization on the planet. _

_Boss is furious. The next time he messes up a mission, I'll have him skinned. _

* * *

><p><em><strong>Mission Log: Mani<strong>_

_**May 14, 5762**_

_Went on an assassination mission today. Cor Goro thinks he can hide a rebellion rise up against FIERCE. Isaac and I waited while the old Goron took his time getting out of the shower._

_Isaac asked me why I was doing this. I told him to shut up and keep his thoughts to himself. He went on about how wrong it is that FIERCE is taking advantage of everyone and how it is wrong to take another's life. I wanted to grab him by the neck and strangle him._

_I told him that FIERCE trained us this way because it was obvious that we at FIERCE are more superior than the others. We are the ones that should be revered as gods, the strong ones. The weak should grovel at our feet and beg for our mercy. That is how I was raised. And that is what he should have known._

_Caused me to miss my target. I'm pretty sure I almost hit this one guy. I don't know what happened to him. I was too busy yelling at the idiot._

_ I had him flogged for that. Next time, it'll be his throat._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Mission Log: Mani<strong>_

_**May 20, 5762**_

_I think there's someone following us…_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Mission Log: Mani<strong>_

_**May 21, 5762**_

_I'm pretty sure there's someone following us…_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Mission Log: Mani<strong>_

_**May 22, 5762**_

_Okay, there's definitely someone following us!_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Mission Log: Mani<strong>_

_**May 24, 5762**_

_Pit refused to believe that someone was following us. _

_Sheik laughed at us._

_Captain Falcon punched me in the stomach and threatened to shove a knife in me if I keep telling lies._

_But there's definitely someone following us. Isaac and I both know that we aren't seeing things. There is someone following us on our missions. I don't know who, but someone is following us._

_It's that beggar guy. It's gotta be. There's no other person. And beggars are said to be a bunch of weird, crazy people anyways..._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Mission Log: Mani<strong>_

_**May 25, 5762**_

_Went to Altea and sat there, waiting for the guy who was following us to show himself. We waited until well after Midnight, but no one came. That beggar guy is so dead the next time I see him._

_Stupid bastard asked about my family today. I told him that FIERCE is and always will be my family. He said that his parents had both died Heroes. That explains the personality._

_I was surprised he wasn't blown up right away. But then again, Boss values good fighters. _

_He gave me that stupid lecture about killing again. Murder. Massacring. I told him to shut his yap._

_FIERCE taught me that killing is right. If the person is weak or if a person needs convincing, just kill and be done with it. FIERCE is strong. FIERCE knows what's right. Boss knows what's right. Whatever Boss does is what's best for the world. _

_… Right…?_


	5. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four_

_May 28, 5762_

_Year of Blazing Swords_

_Midnight_

She hated this guy. She honest to God hated this guy. She hated him for his cockiness, his heroism, and the fact that he couldn't run past a little girl without giving her a treat of some kind.

She hated this stupid, cocky, annoying bastard.

They were on yet another mission. Mani was once again leading the mission and bearing the full brunt of the hardships that often came with missions while Isaac was lagging behind and _helping_ people. She had drilled him a million times in the ways of _not_ being a Hero. But no matter how hard she tried, no matter how many times she sent him to the flogging chambers, he always came back the same cocky bastard.

She hated him with a passion.

And if it were up to her, he'd be dead.

She knew that she should report him to Boss and the FIERCE administration, but she never did. It was a strange thing to Mani, the way Isaac seemed to somehow be able to get her to restrain from telling her superiors. The reason was quite simple: if she reported Isaac, she would have no assignment.

And Boss was not usually willing to hand out rewards.

In many ways, she saw the fact that he was so _heroic_ as being a failing on her part. He was a great fighter and rather intelligent in his own way, but he was heroic. That was the thing that held him back. Had he simply been more black-hearted, more _fierce_, then things would have been different. It was quite likely that he would've been another Red. He would get into the Smashers Division in no time at all.

But he was Heroic. And that left him as no more than a piece of trash that was just waiting to be tossed out.

"Why are we doing this?" Isaac asked for perhaps the eighteenth time that day. Mani made a point of ignoring him, instead concentrating on pointing her sniper at the window where she knew her target, Crime Lord Wario, was busy shoving garlic into his disgusting mouth. The fool had been caught treating a woman named Ashley with favor. He had to pay the price. "I mean… it's not right…"

Mani responded with her usual answer. "We do not question that FIERCE assigns us to do. We are to obey Boss without question. He knows what is best for FIERCE and for our world."

"You always say that," Isaac sighed. "And… and you know what? Just the _way_ you say that… it sounds like you've been brainwashed or something. I mean… surely your _mom_ taught you that killing things isn't good, right? Or… surely she taught you that it's not cool to show off how many men or women you've raped. Because seriously, that's just disgusting and shameful. I bet your mom didn't raise you to think like _that_, Mani…"

Mani tore her eyes away from Wario shoving a clove of garlic up his nose for a moment to glare at her young protégé. "How dare you! I was _raised_ by FIERCE, you fool! If my mother gave a damn about me, she would have raised me herself! Ms. Sheik told me that my mother abandoned me and that my father wanted me dead!"

Isaac scooted back a bit, his hands hovering protectively in front of his face. "L-Listen! I didn't mean any harm! But if you weren't exactly raised by a family, then-" he yelped as Mani struck him across the cheek. Despite her slim arms, they were made of nothing but pure muscle. And it was those powerful muscles that caused a stinging red mark to appear on his cheek.

"Your words are that of a _Hero_," Mani spat. She grabbed his collar and pulled him close so that their faces were almost touching. She could feel his hot breath on her face, coming in short, pained gasps. In spite of the rebellious spark that danced within his startling blue eyes, she could see the slightest shadow of fear. "I should have you _castrated_ and _destroyed_ because of them… if it were up to _me_, you would _burn_ for such words! You speak like a Hero, and you _act_ like a Hero! You are pathetic, Isaac Vale! You will _never_ make a name for yourself in FIERCE if you keep up this _heroic_ behavior!"

Isaac gently pried her hand off his collar. "… Listen… I really don't want to be here, Mani…" he gestured sadly at Wario. "I don't want to… to take the _life_ of this man, no matter what he's done. You shouldn't _kill_ him just because he treated a woman the way they're supposed to be treated: with respect. Why should you… why would _we_ punish someone for doing the right thing?"

"Because it is against the laws of nature!" Mani snapped. "Because the divine force who created our world doesn't will it!"

Isaac's brow furrowed at her words. "… Does this divine force not will it? Or does _Boss_ not will it…?"

Mani's rage reached breaking point. "You… how dare you… how _could_ you… h-how-"

"And what about you?" Isaac went on. "Do you _really_ think that all this killing will fix the world? Look at this place, Mani. Do you think more bloodshed will be able to magically fix this?"

Mani looked around them at the litter covered streets and the poverty ridden tenements. She was not normally the sort of person to pity. Heck, she used to get whipped when she was a kid for showing such emotion. But there was just something about the shantytown that Smashville was that saddened her.

She had heard stories about Smashville from long ago. It had been a peaceful, prosperous city. It was even said to be teeming with Heroes. Mani shivered at the thought. FIERCE had been active for only about thirty years or so. It was amazing how easily the organization could stamp out the Heroes. It only showed her how truly powerful FIERCE was. If they were able to stamp out every single hope that Smashville could ever have in a short period of only thirty years or so, there was no telling what else FIERCE was able to do.

In the days of the Heroes, it was said that Smashville was known as the "Golden City". It was said to be one of the most prosperous and peaceful places in the world. Poverty was absolutely non-existent it was said.

But then, FIERCE came.

Boss had made sure to show the citizens that FIERCE did not tolerate such heroic behavior. After stamping out the Heroes, he had allowed Smashville to fall to ruin. Now, FIERCE dined finely every night while poverty and crime ran rampant in the streets.

To Mani, this was what she had called home for thirty years.

"All of this… poverty, Mani…" Isaac said suddenly, snapping Mani from her thoughts. "Do you think this is really what's meant to be? Do you _really _think that people are meant to suffer like this?"

Mani turned away from him. "Who are you to question our superiors? We are meant to carry out Boss' orders and keep our mouths shut!"

She heard Isaac sigh. "… Mani… look to your right… look at those kids…"

In spite of herself, Mani looked in the direction Isaac had asked her to look. Sure enough, there were a couple of kids down there. They seemed to be huddled around something. As she watched, a young girl reached towards whatever they were huddled around and grabbed something: a tiny crust of bread.

But it was the way she devoured it that truly said something. She ate it like a wolf. One moment, there was food in her hand and the next, there was nothing. And the way she ate it… how her eyes sparkled with madness… it was as if she had never seen food before in her life.

Mani tore her eyes away from the girl. "… Cute. Listen, we need to complete our mission."

"But-"

"Our _mission_, Isaac!" Mani hissed, waving her sniper around. "We are here to punish Wario, not look at kids!"

"But-"

"Not another word."

"Mani, you don't understand-"

She glared at him. "I understand, alright! I understand that-"

"This is wrong, Mani! Listen, we can do something _right_! We can overthrow FIERCE!"

"Shut up!" Mani screamed at him. "I should _report_ you for such heroic behavior!"

"There's nothing wrong with being a Hero! Listen, we can help Smashville revert to what it once was! We can bring it back to its golden age! FIERCE can finally end! We'll be heroes! We can use our skills to _help_ poor kids like them! C'mon, Mani-"

"No! You are a member of FIERCE! You joined of your own free will! If you wish to be a Hero so badly, go jump off a cliff! You're no FIERCE member! You're nothing more than a stupid, bloody _Hero_! How _dare_ you… how _dare_ you willingly join FIERCE only to attempt to leave! How _dare_ you attempt to be a Hero! You are _nothing_! NOTHING!"

Isaac's face darkened at her words. "… Yeah… I _am_ nothing, aren't I?" he looked at his boots. "… I was nothing to my parents… and I guess I'm nothing to you, either…" he glared at her. "My parents… I didn't have a choice… they _sold_ me to FIERCE… they _sold_ me for a pound of silver. I was always nothing to my mother and my father hated me more than anything. My parents didn't care whether I died or not… but I was a good fighter… one of the FIERCE agents- that woman, Samus- took an interest in me. So they sold me… they sold me without a second thought…"

Mani's hands shook. "… You… I… shut up…"

"What FIERCE is doing… it's not right…" Isaac continued. "Killing innocents… ruining childhoods… it's just not right…" he turned to her. "Listen, Mani… we can _change_ that… we can be _Heroes_, Mani! We can finally prove that it doesn't take pure power to be strong… Don't you think that's the right thing to do? Don't you think what FIERCE is doing… these killings… don't you think that they have to be stopped? Don't you think…" here, he took a deep breath. "… Don't you think that… that your parents would've wanted that?"

He let that sink in. Mani's hands shook even more. How _dared_ he suggest such a thing. How _dared_ he suggest that she- the most loyal agent of FIERCE- could ever betray the organization… her _family_. He didn't understand. He hadn't been raised or nurtured by them. He hadn't grown up within its walls, learning to _hate_ everything about the outside world. He just didn't understand what it was like to be under such pressure. He didn't understand what it was like to want to be promoted to the top ranks for decades on end, only to be rejected in favor of a younger, stronger person.

He didn't understand at all.

"You speak of lies! Blasphemy!" Mani shrieked. "I'll have you hanged! I'll skin you alive! I'll-" her index finger found the trigger of her sniper. "I'll silence you for good if I have to!"

"Mani-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

_Bang!_


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter Five_

_May 28, 5762_

_Year of Blazing Swords_

_1:00 AM_

She regretted it. From the moment she squeezed the trigger, she regretted it.

It all happened in slow motion.

_She watched as Isaac grabbed the left side of his chest- where his heart was- and collapsed, blood spurting out of the wound she__ had created. She dropped her gun on the ground and ran to him. Her heart raced. All the anger she felt, all the hate for him, was gone._

"ISAAC!" she screamed. "ISAAC! ISAAAAAC!"

If her voice alerted anyone to her presence, there was no sign. And frankly, she didn't care. She had shot Isaac. Isaac, who was to act as her protégé until Boss decided to finally promote her. She had sworn to protect the boy in the name of gaining her title. Their partnership began as nothing more than a grudge- relationship. But there was something else too. They both shared a tragic past. She had learned that only today.

He was annoying and heroic, but somehow, it suited him. It never occurred to Mani that he could ever be a great agent of FIERCE. He was a wonderful fighter, but it was all too obvious that his skills were not destined to be used to work for FIERCE. He was, as much as she hated to admit it, truly meant to be a Hero… the _last_ of the Heroes.

He was a man with dreams as well. She had heard them many times. Over and over again he had told her about how much he wanted to help, rather than kill. Over and over again she had reprimanded him for such thoughts. But now, such dreams would never come true.

And it was all her fault.

Desperately, Mani tried to cover up his wound. But the first aid kit she had on her would never be adequate enough to staunch the blood flow. And even she couldn't remove a bullet that pierced his heart.

The best she could do was prolong death.

"Isaac… Isaac…" for the first time in years, Mani felt tears prick her eyes. She grabbed his wrist. "Isaac… f-forgive me…"

He looked at her through fading eyes. The hatred she expected to see there was nonexistent. Instead, there was a spark. Once again, she found that her hands were shaking. He was _happy_. _Happy_ that he was dying.

"… Y-You…" she gulped. Already she could feel his pulse slowly fading. "Y-You… you would have made… you would have made a wonderful hero…"

Isaac grinned and have her a weak chuckle. "… Yeah… I think so too…" it was all too obvious that every breath he took caused him pain. "… but you still have a chance, Mani…" he grinned up at her. "… You still… you still have… a chance…"

Mani shook her head. "No… FIERCE… I was raised by it… the organization is my family… I-"

"… Mani…" Isaac's voice was just above a whisper. "Mani… you can't keep living like this… not everything FIERCE says… not everything _Boss_ says is correct…" his pulse was almost gone now. "You must… promise me… that you'll do what's right…"

Mani blinked and nodded. "… I'll… try…" there was no way she would ever turn her back on FIERCE. The organization had raised her from a young age. Not even the words of a dying youth could change that.

She watched as he slowly closed his eyes. He spoke once more, but she had to lean in quite close to hear his words. "… wood… said… Lyndis… alive… he was… right….."

The moment she heard the name, something awoke within her. She didn't know what, but something happened. Suddenly, she saw the world anew. She saw the horror that FIERCE had created. She saw the poverty stricken and crime ridden streets of Smashville and recoiled.

Things weren't supposed to be this way.

"Lyndis…" a voice whispered.

She remembered a boy. A boy with flaming red hair. A boy who she had thought to be long dead.

She turned to the beggar who had been following them on so many missions.

"… You…"

"… I'm sorry…"

For the first time in years, she let tears roll down her cheeks.

"… Eliwood…"


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

_May 28, 5762_

_Year of Blazing Swords_

_5:00 AM_

They buried Isaac with the honors due to a Hero. His grave was small and out of the way, marked only by a single red rose. There was no grave marker to state who was laid to rest in this patch of soft earth. There was no way for anyone to know the name of the Hero that had slipped into eternal sleep only a few hours before.

Strangely, it seemed _right_ for it to be that way.

"Lyndis…"

That name… it was so foreign to her. Eliwood had called her nothing _but_ that from the moment they were forced to carry Isaac's body away from Smashville. Lyndis… he kept calling her Lyndis. She had told him to stop. She had _specifically_ told her that "Lyndis" wasn't her name.

Her name was Mani.

It was the name FIERCE had given to her.

It was the name she had lived with for thirty years.

"I'm sorry…" Eliwood said for the third time that night. "I'm sorry… for what you've had to go through these past thirty years…"

Mani cast a long look at the grave of her former protégé and said nothing. There really was nothing that she could think of saying. Without Isaac, it was as if all the good had been taken away from the world.

"… I don't understand, Eliwood…" Mani whispered. "How… how did you survive…?"

Her old friend gave her a light chuckle, his lined face lighting up for a moment. "I… I suppose… Even I can't tell you, Lyn…" he grinned. "I don't know how the Hell I survived… but I did… and it looks like you did as well."

"… All these years…" Mani whispered. "All these years… You're the only thing I remember from before my days at FIERCE… and I thought…"

Eliwood placed a strong hand on her shoulder and gently steered her away from Isaac's grave. "… I know, Lyn… I know…"

"I am known as Mani," she said automatically.

Eliwood chuckled again. "You'll always be Lyn to me."

It was amazing how much he had changed since the last time Mani had seen him. He had grown from a skinny young boy into a strong, muscular young man. Battle scars were littered all over his face and his mess of flaming red hair was faded with age. His nose looked like it had been broken at least twice in his life. But the eyes remained the same. Those startling blue eyes with their childish spark. They were still exactly as she remembered them. Even after they had seen the horrors of battle and worst, they still sparkled with life.

The face of a Hero.

"… Lyndis… there's someone I would like you to meet…"

"I am _Mani_," Mani said again. She didn't understand why he couldn't just get her name.

"Mani? Why do you call yourself Mani, Lyn?"

It wasn't the first time he had asked her this question. She gave the response she always gave when people asked her why her name was her name.

"Because it is the name Sheik gave me. It is the name that marks me as a proud member of FIERCE. It shows that I am strong and as sharp as the legendary sword, the Mani Katti."

It was strange how foreign those very words, which she had been saying for about twenty years, seemed to catch awkwardly on her tongue. They had always felt so natural before. And what was more, she was finding it increasingly difficult to remember that her name was Mani, not this "Lyndis" that Eliwood kept mentioning.

That was when Eliwood came to a halt. "… If you are truly a proud agent of FIERCE… then you are my enemy…" his voice turned ice cold. "Are you my enemy, Lyndis? Should I run you through with my sword right now?"

She shivered under his glare. "N-No…"

"Good," his tone was light again. "Now c'mon…"

He took her to the farthest edge of town, where a broken and run down inn stood. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary about it, save the fact that there was a strange symbol carved into the door. It was composed of three triangles, stacked in a way so that they formed a larger one. Such a symbol was known as the Triforce, which was said to be one of the sacred treasures of the Realm of Hyrule.

And Link's emblem.

Quick as a flash, Eliwood pressed his palm against the Triforce. It glowed slightly for a second, but otherwise, nothing else happened. Mani couldn't help but feel a bit crestfallen. She had expected lasers to be pointed at them, at the very least.

"Hold on tight," Eliwood said suddenly. Mani looked at him confusedly.

"Wha-"

The mat beneath them collapsed, revealing a huge slide.

Oh shit.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

><p>It had honestly been the most horrible- yet fun- thing she had ever been on. The slide twisted and turned every which way and once or twice, the woman could've sworn that they were going upside down. What was more, it had been pitch black. The only consolation was that Eliwood was right behind her, holding onto her shoulder.<p>

_WHAM!_

"Holy cow! Sir Eliwood! Are you alright?"

The voice was hoarse and rather dusty-sounding. It was as if the speaker's throat was coated with sandpaper. Lyn groaned and shook the dirt from her eyes. An unfamiliar hand reached out to help her up, but she ignored it and instead stood up herself.

A gasp escaped her lips.

It was as if every single citizen in Smashville, Hyrule, Tellius, and just about anywhere else in the world was here. They were in an underground complex of sorts, complete with sitting areas, some mattresses on the floor, and even a tiny kitchen in the very back. There were adults, elderly people, teenagers, and even children of both genders scattered everywhere throughout the place. As Mani watched them, she even saw some more coming down from slides elsewhere in the room.

Many of the younger men seemed wounded. Some of them were missing limbs. Others didn't move at all, but whether they were dead or merely knocked out, Mani could never be sure. She felt a twinge of guilt as she realized that many of these men were in the same position Isaac had been in just before he passed away.

The women were tending to the men while the children played games. The elders were gathered around a middle aged man seated in a chair. Mani couldn't catch sight of his face, but she was able to see the mess of blonde hair that was streaked with gray.

Next to her, Eliwood cleared his throat. It was just loud enough to reach the ears of the man seated in the chair. Startled, he stopped his conversation for a moment to look up.

Mani nearly choked as she saw the strong, healthy, thought to be long dead face of Link Gaiden staring at her.

_Codename: Link_

"Eliwood," Link's voice was surprisingly full of warmth for an agent of FIERCE. Then again, she realized, if he was hanging around here, he most likely wasn't working for FIERCE any longer. "What news do you bring? And you _do_ know that that girl's got a FIERCE emblem on her outfit, right?"

Mani felt warmth rise to her cheeks as every eye in the room now turned to her. In spite of the loyalty she held towards the organization, she found herself wishing that she _hadn't_ sewn the FIERCE patch on her dress right above her heart.

_Age: 57_

Eliwood smiled graciously and bowed. "Sir Link… I believe you'll find her to be _nothing_ like the others we have tried to turn…"

Mani shot Eliwood a confused look. The others? Tried to turn? She didn't understand such words at all. Did other FIERCE agents know about this place? If so, why was there never a mass attack?

_Preferred Weapon: Sword_

A good natured smile spread across Link's face. "Excellent! We might be able to achieve our goals yet!" then, as if realizing that Mani was there, he turned to her and swept into an abrupt bow. "Forgive me… I was so excited that I nearly forgot my manners."

_Division: Smashers_

"… I suppose you have many questions, Miss…"

"Mani, sir," Mani said immediately.

"Lyndis, sir," Eliwood replied at the same time. The two exchanged quick glances.

Link raised an eyebrow. "Manyndis? That's a rather unusual name…"

_Position: Head of the Smashers Division_

"Allows me to clarify," Eliwood said. "She goes by the name Mani… a name that those accursed bastards at FIERCE gave her at the age of three when they chose to keep her and train her, but-"

Link held up a hand. "I know, Eliwood… after all, _I_ was there when she came to FIERCE for the first time…"

Mani bowed her head. "Link… it is truly an honor to meet you…"

"… If you're honoring me for the wrongs I've done… then you have no right to revere me for such things…" Link told her gravely. "I am no longer proud of the cities I have plundered… the women I have defiled or…" he touched a Triforce shaped locket at his neck. "The people I've killed…"

_Current Status: Deceased?_


	8. Chapter 7

_Chapter Seven_

_May 29, 5762_

_Year of Blazing Swords_

_5:00 AM_

Link had refused to give her answers until after she had bathed, eaten, and slept. Despite her desperate with to know how all of it- the underground base, Link's survival, Eliwood's survival, and the gathering of rebels- had happened, Mani had followed his orders. Now rested and refreshed, she was sitting across from Link at a small table normally used to play cards. The others were either far out of earshot or had gone out on different errands.

In other news, they were more or less alone.

Link toyed a bit with his Triforce locket before speaking. "… You have many, many questions, Lyn-"

"Mani," she corrected. Again, it was odd to her how hard it was to say the name. It had been so easy once before…

"… Mani…" Link sighed and stopped playing with his locket. "… Where would you like me to begin?"

Mani folded her arms on the table and gestured to him. "First off… you. I wish to know how you _survived_… it is said that you were surrounded by an army… and you were battling upon a field of _mines_! There was a great _explosion_! Your skeleton was found among the ruins! You were forced to sacrifice yourself to allow the other agents to take them down! And yet-"

"And yet here I am, alive and well?" Link chuckled. "Ah… how people inflate stories… it's strange… the more ridiculous and spectacular a tale is, the more people tend to believe it. Why, I wouldn't be surprised if a simple story about me helping a few inexperienced soldiers in taking down a wild boar transformed into a tale where I singlehandedly took down a wild boar- that breathed fire, mind you- with nothing but a dagger." he chuckled some more. "Amusing, very amusing…"

"… As… interesting as it sounds to hear about such a tale, you still have not told me how you could have survived," Mani said. "The situation you were in would be impossible to escape with your life, let alone all of yours limbs!"

Link laughed. "That's exactly my point, Lyndis!"

"Mani…"

"… Lyndis. My point is that people exaggerate stories all too often. I can tell you quite honestly that the field was not covered in mines. And we were certainly not surrounded. In fact, it was just me and the man you and the other agents have come to know as 'Boss'. The others were all defiling women or something elsewhere. The explosion was a clever ploy by me so I could escape. The skeleton was to make it look like the explosion had disintegrated me or something. That's all."

"But… but why?" Mani asked. "Why go through all that trouble… all of these years of living like… like…"

"Like a Hero? Because I didn't want to be part of FIERCE anymore, Lyndis… Because I was sick and tired of the cruelty… of the defiling… of the plundering… of Boss' big fat ego… because…" his hand found its way to the locket wrapped around his neck. "Because I lost everything last night… and realized for the first time how wrong the things Boss… the things _FIERCE_ believed in were…"

"I don't understand…" Mani whispered. "How… ? What…?"

Link swallowed. "The tales you heard of me… you heard the one of… of Queen Zelda, correct?"

Mani nodded. It was a basic bedtime story in FIERCE. The lesson of it was to show one how horribly _disgusting_ love was. And how much _love_ can destroy a man.

"… I met her again…" Link whispered. "Just before Boss and I were to round up the FIERCE agents… I saw her… a destroyed woman… trying desperately to remain dignified in her time of… indignity…" his hand curled into a fist. "I hated her then… I hated her as much as I hated the world. It was the perfect opportunity for me… I was the one in power now… I could've had my way with her… I could've ripped off her dress and punished her… punished her for every bit of pain she ever gave me…" his voice broke. "But I couldn't… they say that I am the wielder of the Triforce of Courage, but if that is true, then the Triforce failed me that day… no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't summon the nerve to destroy her… to punish her for everything she had done to me…"

Mani remained silent. Link's fist uncurled as he continued.

"I didn't understand back then why I couldn't kill her… and I still don't understand now… I hated her with every fiber of my body… I prayed for her defilement and her death from the moment she ripped my heart out and stomped on it… and all that I wished for was right there in front of me… all I had to do was draw my sword and strike her… but I couldn't…" he touched the Triforce locket. "The only explanation I have… the only reason I can think of… is that I loved her. I hated her with everything I had… but at the same time, I loved her with everything else. Was it love that stopped me from finally fulfilling my vow to her? I don't know… but something snapped in me that day… something caused me to see the world differently…" he looked her in the eye. "I suddenly saw how wrong FIERCE was… how wrong I had been… when I saw a woman being defiled, I did not see a victory on Pit's part… I saw a monster destroying the dignity and the purity of an innocent being. When I saw Samus murdering someone, I saw a horrible temptress ripping the skin off her victims… I saw all of that… and more…"

"… So… I suppose… you told Boss…" Mani said quietly. Link nodded.

"Yes… I told Boss… and he, of course, didn't take it well. He called me a fool and a charlatan. He called me a lovesick idiot. He called me a Hero… but for the first time in a long time, I was proud to be called a Hero. I was proud to be standing up for what was right… so we dueled. We dueled to the death…" Link's eyes filled with tears. "I remember… I was the victor… he was weaponless and on the ground… if I only struck, he would be dead… there would be one less monster in the world… but…"

"… But you spared him?"

"Yes… I spared him…" he wiped away the tears. "I spared him… because I didn't wish for more blood to cake my sword… I spared him… but he refused to spare me… he took out a dagger and stabbed me in the stomach. Not wanting to face him, I threw a smoke-bomb in his face and ran to set off the fake explosion. The skeleton was easy to get… I merely ran to a grave we had dug up and looted… but after that, I was done. I knew my place in the world…" he looked her in the eye. "I was never meant to be an agent of FIERCE… I was meant to be a Hero… I was _always_ meant to be a Hero…"

"… And the woman…? Zelda…?"

"… Dead," Link said curtly. "Boss went for her the very next day… I was too late to stop him…"

"… I'm… sorry…" Mani whispered. Link gave her a small smile.

"Don't be… you didn't kill her… you didn't destroy everything I had worked for…" he took a deep breath. "So now, we are here. For the past decade I have been gathering rebels forces… soon enough, we will be ready to storm the FIERCE base."

"It's a suicide mission," Mani gasped. "You'll all perish!"

Link made a dismissive gesture. "That may be so… but it's our only chance. We intend to deliver as horrible of a blow to FIERCE as possible… and…" he sighed. "And… we want _you_, Lyndis, to help us…"

A great weight settled in Mani's stomach. "… Me…? You wish me to turn my back on the organization… on the people who _raised_ me…?"

Link's eyes were now downcast. "… I understand that it is a great thing to ask of you… but your parents-"

"What do you know about my parents?" Mani's voice was on the rise. "What did Isaac know about my parents? WHAT DOES _ANYONE_ KNOW ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO THREW ME OUT INTO THE STREETS?"

"… For one thing, they didn't throw you out into the streets," Eliwood said as he came up to them. "I know that for a fact… they told me to take your hand and run… run as fast as we could… run to get away from FIERCE." he reached into a hidden pocket and pulled out a small, thin disk. "… I heard FIERCE hasn't been using these much lately. This is a holographic device. This contains your parents' final words to you."

A lump formed in Mani's throat. She took the little device with a shaking hand. Slowly, she opened it up.

And out popped her parents.


	9. Chapter 8

_Chapter Eight_

_June 4, 5762_

_Year of Blazing Swords_

_23:00_

_"Lyndis, no matter what happens, we'll always be proud of you…"_

_"Lyndis, just remember that although FIERCE claims that there are no longer any Heroes in this world, they are wrong…"_

_"**You** ware descended from a great line of Heroes…"_

_"Elincia of Crimea…"_

_"Sir Geoffery of Crimea…"_

_"Eirika of Renais…"_

_"Seth of Renais…"_

_"Joshua of Jehanna…"_

_"Natasha of Grado…"_

_"Hassar, your father..."_

_"Madelyn, your mother…"_

_"Just remember, Lyndis…"_

_"No matter what happens to us… or to you…"_

_"We'll always love you…"_

Mani closed the projector for perhaps the third time that night and pressed it to her heart. In spite of herself, tears began forming in her eyes. She shifted her weight slightly, allowing blood to flow thorugh her cramped muscles.

Tonight was the night. Tonight, the rebels will rise up and invade the FIERCE base. Tonight was the night- as Link hoped- that FIERCE would finally fall.

And Man- no, Lyndis- would be at their head.

She lay in wait in an alcove within the base. She had slipped through to this place from the ceiling. As soon as she received the word from Link, she would slip out and deactivate the locks that held the steel doors to the facility close. Once done, she was to assist the rebels in battling FIERCE agents.

It was what her parents would've wanted.

The communicator she had placed inside her ear beeped to life. Link's deep voice spoke only one word" "Start."

Quick as a flash, Lyn jumped down from her place in the alcove and punched the passcode into the number pad across the way. A single beep was the only thing that was heard before the sound of the great doors opening filled the base. And then, there was nothing but war cries and shouting.

The final battle had begun.

Drawing her rapier, Lyn prepared to race down the hall and leap into battle. She knew Eliwood was back there somewhere and it was absolutely imperative that she gave him all the help he could get. As wonderful of a fighter he had grown to be, even he couldn't handle the agents of FIERCE ganging up on him.

But then, something stopped her. A noise she had only heard a few times in her early life. It was very, very small. So small, in fact, that it was a wonder she could hear it over the roar of the battle. But her training kicked in at the last moment and she ducked…

… Right under the razor sharp needles that sailed over her head.

Now on her guard, Lyn whirled to face her attacker. The lithe and muscular body of a woman leaped down from who knows where. Her flashing red eyes locked with Mani's and under her dark gray cowl, there was no doubt that a sneer was forming underneath.

_Codename: Sheik_

"Mani, my child…" she purred. The woman shivered as she was hit with the honeyed, seductive tones. "Mani, Mani, Mani… so good of you to come back to Mother…"

Lyn grimaced in disgust at those words. "Sheik… why? Why did you lie to me? About my parents? About me? About… everything?"

"To protect you, child, to protect you…"

_Age: 55_

Lyn pointed her rapier at the woman who raised her. "Another lie, Sheik? You dare tell me another lie?"

"I am not lying, sweet Mani," Sheik purred. "I only wished to protect you… you were such a delicate, sweet child… it is a shame that I'll have to dispose of you now…"

_Preferred Weapon: Needles, chain_

Despite her age, Sheik's reflexes were still wickedly fast. Lyn only had seconds to duck as more needles sailed over her head. But from her crouching position, nothing could have prepared her for what came next.

A chain, so small and thin that it was almost invisible, was thrown right out of Sheik's hand. Electricity crackled all around its powerful grip. Before Lyn could so much as dodge, the grip had latched onto her and delivered an electrical shock. Pain beyond pain bloomed from the spot where the chain touched.

She screamed.

Then, just like that, the chain was gone. Sheik retracted it back into her sleeve. Shivering, Lyn slowly got to her feet to face her.

_Division: Smashers_

"Mani, child…" Sheik cooed. "Why don't you come back? Join FIERCE again… come back to Mother…"

Lyn growled and tightened her grip on her rapier. "N-Never…"

"Why are you with these rebels anyways, Sweet?" Sheik asked. "What do they mean to you? They are nothing more than trash. They are jealous of you, Mani dear… they say that we are evil… no, we are not evil… we are merely FIERCE. We are simply more powerful then them… we exit to be the shining beacons in a world of darkness-"

"A world of darkness… a world of darkness that _you_ created, you bitch!" Lyn screamed.

_Position: Head of the Smashers Division_

"DON'T YOU _DARE_ TALK TO YOUR MOTHER THAT WAY!" Sheik crouched and leaped towards her with the speed and grace of a beast of prey.

"You're not my mother!" pointing her rapier down at the ground., Lyn charged towards the woman she had come to hate. As soon as she realized that the younger woman was drawing closer, Sheik whipped out her chain and began spinning it until it was nothing more than a whirling pinwheel of light.

Lyn's rapier came up at the last moment.

The woman gasped and tried to leap away.

Too late…

_Current Status: Deceased_


	10. Chapter 9

_Chapter Nine_

_**WARNING: Some abusive language a la Boss. You have been warned.**_

_June 4, 5762_

_Year of Blazing Swords_

_Midnight_

She examined the katana as she ran, unsure of what to make of it. She had claimed it from an opponent- Roy of Phrae- after defeating him soundly. It was amazing how much the boy resembled Eliwood. Lyn couldn't help but feel guilty over such a lost, The boy was quite young as well, probably only about 15 years old.

It was a beautiful thing, light and durable. The hilt was a rather simple leather hilt, as many swordmasters believed that a hilt heavy with gold or jewels was simply unneeded weight. The blade was brand new and nicely blued. It was a blade fresh from the forge. Two words:, _Sol Katti,_ were engraved on the blade.

Many of the FIERCE agents laid dead as she passed. But many more rebels had been taken with them. It was a cruel thing for the woman, who had just killed the very person that had raised her, to see all of this death. For the first time, she saw what Isaac had seen. Killing, death, massacring was not at all right. It was, in fact, one of the cruelest thigns you could ever do to a person.

Link had found Boss. She could feel it. Eliwood had ordered her to go help Link. And it was highly likely that Link had found Boss.

So she ran.

The door to Boss' chambers had been blasted right off its hinges. Lyn could still see the small pieces of the bomb that had done it. She quickly skidded to a halt and slipped into the room. The two men within didn't take notice of her, mostly because they were all too busy staring at each other. Quietly, Lyn slipped behind a potted plant and waited.

The battle had just begun.

* * *

><p>"You…"<p>

"Me."

"I thought I destroyed you!"

"Key word being 'thought', Boss… why do you still go by that name?"

"It is the name _you_ gave _me_ when we began this organization, Link! Or have you forgotten?"

"… I haven't… I can never forget this place… or this organization…" Link slowly unsheathed his old sword- The Master Sword- and pointed it at his foe. "I can never forget the people I killed or the women I defiled… I can never forget how many times I have tried to find the justice in the things we were doing only to be scorned by _you_, of all people. And I can never forget the day I met you…"

"You were young, foolish…" Boss sneered. "So easy to manipulate…"

"And yet, it was _I_ who brought FIERCE into the world," Link said. His voice trembled ever so slightly as he spoke. "And… and shall be _I_ that destroys it tonight."

"You in what army?" Boss asked as he unsheathed his own sword. The deadly blade glinted menacingly in the dim light. "Your rebels shall be destroyed… my Smashers are stronger, much stronger, than you last remember them to be, Link. Sheik alone has been able to succeed on more missions than _you_ ever did!"

"I place my faith and trust in the wills of the three goddesses," Link said calmly. "May their power guide me to find the truth."

"You and those three goddesses," Boss spat. "It is a wonder why I didn't mark you as a Hero the moment I saw you…"

"Boss… no… not Boss…" the Master Sword flicked upwards and chipped off some kind of small, round disk that Lyn had never noticed before. It was attached to the nape of Boss' neck, suspended there by a silvery chain.

Lyn watched with widened eyes as the illusion slowly began to fade. The dark shadow that seemed to follow Boss everywhere he went began to disappear. Link stomped on the holographic projector that he had sliced off to further dissolve the shadow. As the strange illusion disappeared, the hatred and the ice cold wish to kill in Boss' blue eyes only seemed to grow in intensity.

Boss had blue hair. That was the first thing Lyn noticed. He had dark blue hair that was amazingly well-kept looking for a man of his position. His left ear was horribly mutilated, as if someone had stuffed it into a blender. What was more, the face that was shown to be hidden by the shadows for so long was amazingly… _boyish_. If one looked past all of the battle scars, the lopsided nose, and the long, jagged cut from his right cheek to his left eye, it would be all too obvious that Boss was altogether… too _boyish_ for such a position.

No wonder he had tried to hide his looks.

"H-How… How _dare_ you!" Boss spat, revealing his yellow, crooked teeth. "How _dare_ you take that from me!"

"You hide your face, Boss… because you yourself are afraid to admit that _you_ cannot lead a regiment on your own!"

"YOU STUPID HERO! YOU STUPID COCKSUCKING MOTHERFUCKING HERO! I'LL HAVE YOU HANGED! I'LL HAVE YOU CASTRATED! I'LL HAVE YOUR TONGUE RIPPED OUT AND STEWED IN YOUR BLOOD!"

_Name: Marth_

"Abuse won't get us anywhere, Marth," Link said calmly. "I want you to consider… consider what you have done… what _FIERCE_ has done in the past."

"The time for considering is past!" Marth screamed. "Your death is nigh! DIE YOU FUCKING HERO!" he charged, the powerful sword already swinging in a deadly arch aimed at Link's chest.

_Age: 59_

Link managed to sidestep just in time. The Master Sword described small, even circles in the air as Marth charged again. The two blades clanged together as the two men glared at each other. But while Marth's eyes held nothing but madness and the desperate wish for Link's death, Link's held something else.

Pity…

_Preferred Weapon: Falchion, the Cursed Blade_

"You don't have to do this, Marth," Link said as he held Marth's sword with his own. "We don't have to fight like this… Marth, we don't have to live in a world where poverty reigns… we don't have to live in a world without Heroes…" he released Marth's sword for a moment before pouncing on his opponent and pinning him to the ground.

Marth's eyes widened in fear as he realized exactly what position he was in. Link's knee pinned his stomach to the ground. Despite his age, the younger man was still fit, his muscles tight as a chord. All Link had to do was draw his sword and stab or slice. It would be the end of him, then.

"We don't have to do this, Marth…" Link whispered. "Remember before FIERCE began, Marth? We were friends…"

"I had come to court Queen Zelda…" Marth said hoarsely. "But she turned me away…"

"You understood my pain… and just like kids, we bonded over that…" Link grinned. "And we can keep doing that, Marth… we can rebuild this world… just like old times…"

_Division: Smashers_

"You always were the more Heroic…" Marth growled. "The stupid, ass kissing Hero…"

Link chuckled. "And we can _both_ be 'stupid, ass kissing Heroes', Marth. It's what Zelda would have wanted. As much as she rejected us… as much as we hated her… she was still a good woman in her own right…" he removed his knee from Marth's stomach and stood up, offering his hand. "Let's change the world, Marth… let's rebuild it the way our parents saw it… the way _Zelda_ saw it… the way it's supposed to be."

Marth took the younger man's hand and stood up. Lyn let out a slow sigh of relief as the two old friends shook hands. Then, rather abruptly, Marth gave Link one of those manly hugs.

Everything was perfect.

_Position: Leader of FIERCE_

She saw the dagger first, glinting crimson in the dim light.

She cried out once, but could only watch helplessly as it plunged.

She watched as the blonde gasped and collapsed, blue eyes widened in surprise.

She saw the sneer upon Marth's face.

Blood gushed out of the wound.

The wound positioned in the exact spot where Link's heart would be.

She screamed even louder as the spark of life vanished from the eyes of the Hero of Time.

_Current Status: Murderer_


	11. Chapter 10

_Chapter Ten_

**Eliwood is a character from the Fire Emblem series. I forgot to mention this. DX**

**Lyn's parents are also from the Fire Emblem series.**

**Lyn's ancestors are people from the Fire Emblem series.  
><strong>

**I think I just about covered the people from other series'. **

**On to the final chapter!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em>June 5, 5762<em>

_Year of Blazing Swords_

_1: 00 AM_

"LIIIIIIINK!" Lyn emerged from her hiding place and dashed to the body of the Fallen Hero. In spite of her best efforts, she was unable to revive him. His pulse was already long gone.

He was dead.

"Mani…" Marth whispered as he looked at her. Lyn turned to glare at him. "Mani… step away from the Hero… and go… go take care of those foolish rebels that _dare_ attack the organization FIERCE…"

Lyn stood up and drew the Sol Katti. "Never…"

Marth raised an eyebrow. "Never? Mani, child… I shall give you your promotion… you _do_ wish to be a Smasher, do you not? Or… even better… I shall make you the _Head_ of the Smasher Division! Surely it is an offer you cannot refuse!"

Lyn growled. "Well, it looks like I'm refusing it anyways…" she raised her sword and pointed it directly at his heart. "I don't know who you think you are, Marth… but FIERCE ends tonight…"

Marth laughed. "What? You think a pathetic little thing like _that_ can ever defeat me?" he picked up Falchion. "You have much to learn, my girl."

With a cry loud enough to shake the earth, Lyn charged at her opponent, her sword a flashing wheel of light. Marth easily deflected her blow before he began to rain overheads and sidecuts of his own upon her. Lyn desperately flicked her sword to and fro to block these cuts, now going on the defensive to avoid getting hit.

Suddenly, Marth changed tactics. He feinted an overhand cut, but immediately slammed the hilt of his sword into Lyn's stomach as she moved to block the attack. The wind knocked out of her, she collapsed to the ground. Before Lyn could so much as get up again, Marth's heavy boot was upon her chest.

"Bastard!" she spat.

"Mani, Mani, Mani…" Marth laughed. "How pathetic you truly are…" he raised his sword for the kill. "A death exactly like your parents… they would be so, so disappointed in how pathetically their daughter perishes…"

That was the last straw. Summoning up the last of her strength, Lyn grabbed the Sol Katti and glared up at the man she had come to hate.

"I… am… LYNDIS!"

Her sword came up to meet Falchion, surprising Marth. Taking advantage of his momentary weakness, Lyn leaped to her feet and proceeded to cut and feint until her sword was nothing more than a spinning pinwheel of light. Lyn's blade flicked in and out of his defenses like a snake's tongue and, much to Marth's amazement, he was forced to go into the defensive and was just barely keeping up. It didn't take long for him to realize that unlike Link, he wasn't facing a swordmaster.

He was facing a Trueblade.

They were legendary swordsmen, possessing talent that was above "natural" swordsmanship. In fact, it was said that one could only be a Trueblade if the blood of one flowed in their veins. They were extremely rare, but deadlier than the greatest poison in the world. If one faced a Trueblade in battle, there was almost no way one would survive.

Still desperately keeping up with her, Marth lowered his sword to block an underhand, then flicked his sword to the right to intercept the right-hand sidecut that he _knew_ was coming. After all, swordsmen rarely changed their attacking patterns in the middle of the battle. All he had to do was learn it and soon enough, he would be their master.

Big mistake.

Her blade switched from a sidecut to a stab. The sword slammed into his chest, puncturing a large, gaping hole. He felt the warm blood gushing out of him like a geyser and knew.

He was going to die tonight.

But then, he saw a faint glimmer of hope.

An angel descended from the heavens, a single blade out and ready. Pit, his scarred face now sporting a brand new cut, aimed his sword just above Lyn's head and dove for the kill. Marth felt a bubble rise within him as he saw Pit, his avenger, his _heir_, ready to murder the woman that had caused so much pain.

No!

Lyndis was fast, _too_ fast! She wrenched her sword from Marth's body and raised it to block the angel just in time. Then, she proceeded to cut and slice, now forcing Pit into the defensive as well. Feeling his life slowly slipping away from him, Marth summoned the last of his strength and threw it all into one last shout.

"PIT! GET OUT OF HERE! BEGIN FIERCE AGAIN!" he was seeing the angel at the end of a long, dark tunnel. "I name you… my heir…"

He watched in jubilation as Pit kicked Lyn in the stomach, spread his wings, and took off. The huge window behind Marth's desk shattered as he charged through them. At this moment, he knew, Pit was already thinking of where to begin FIERCE again. He heard Lyn's cry of rage as she realized that the last of the FIERCE agents was ready to begin the organization again.

He saw her blade glinting above him, still stained red with blood. He saw her face, contorted with hatred, ready to murder him in cold blood.

Then let her, he thought, Let her kill me. But it won't matter. Pit's poison has already spread… soon, FIERCE will rise again!

He watched as the glittering blade descended, aimed right for his heart.

Everything went black.

* * *

><p>Lyn wrenched the sword out of the man she had once called Boss, panting as she stared at her enemy's corpse. She heard running footsteps behind her, but didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Eliwood dahed into the room and stood next to her, his mouth hanging wide open as he took in the bodies of Link and Marth.<p>

"Y-You… h-him…"

"… Pit got away, Eliwood…" Lyn said quietly. "He got away… with every intent to restart FIERCE…"

Eliwood placed a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder. "… And what shall you do…?"

_Name: Lyndis_

"I'm going to hunt him," she replied calmly. "I'm going to hunt him and prevent his poison from spreading… I'm going to hunt him even if it takes me a thousand years to find him…"

Eliwood nodded. "… A wise choice…"

_Age: 33_

"… And I'm coming with you."

Lyn whipped her head to look at her old friend. His battle-lined face was calm and impassive. Eliwood held her gaze with the calm that only a trained leader could possess. From the look in his eyes, Lyn knew that he was set and determined.

_Preferred Weapon: Sol Katti_

"But… what about Smashville?" Lyn asked. "Doesn't this city need you?"

Eliwood shook his head. "Smashville was in need of a Hero… and a Hero it received." his eyes twinkled slightly as he gazed at her. "_You_ were the Hero, Lyndis…" he smiled as he gently removed the Sol Katti from her grip and began cleaning it with the dark blue cape he wore around his shoulders. "But right now, the rest of the world needs a Hero as well… and Pit… Pit needs someone to set him straight."

_Division: Assist_

"… I hope you know that the journey shall be rough," Lyn said. In spite of herself, she grinned. "I don't want you complaining the whole way now, Eli." she took the Sol Katti back and sheathed it. "It'll be rough… but…" she felt slight warmth rise to her cheeks. "I'm glad you're coming along."

The older man laughed. "Same to you, Lyndis…" he looked at the shattered window. "… But… where shall we begin our search…?"

"It doesn't matter… but wherever we go, we'll be Heroes…"

Eliwood nodded. "Amen."

_Position: None_

Lyn walked to the shattered window and watched as the tiny dot that was Pit flew off into the distance. He seemed to be heading east- to Skyworld- where it was all too evident that he would attempt to start FIERCE again. It was Marth's dying wish, she knew, that FIERCE would live on forever.

But if FIERCE lived on, so would they.

They were Heroes. Their purpose was to help the weak and innocent and to protect those that couldn't protect themselves. They were the last of the Heroes, the ones that would one day restore Smashville and its neighbors to peace and prosperity.

She knew not what journey lay ahead of her. She didn't even know whether or not she would survive this journey. But as long as Eliwood was by her side, she knew that all would be well.

It was what Link had wanted.

It was what her parents had wanted.

It was what Isaac had wanted.

_Current Status: Hero_


	12. Surprise!

Surprise!

**I am well aware that I have declared this story over and done with. However, as I was re-reading it this morning, I couldn't help but think how the ending especially could have been better. And out of the many plot bunnies hopping around in my head, this comes out. **

**Please enjoy what FIERCE probably would have been had I thought of this all those weeks ago.**

**And if it is not too much of me to ask, please tell me which ending you would have preferred!**

* * *

><p><em>June 4, 5762<em>

_Year of Blazing Swords_

_Midnight_

She examined the katana as she ran, unsure of what to make of it. She had claimed it from an opponent- Roy of Phrae- after defeating him soundly. It was amazing how much the boy resembled Eliwood. Lyn couldn't help but feel guilty over such a lost, The boy was quite young as well, probably only about 15 years old.

It was a beautiful thing, light and durable. The hilt was a rather simple leather hilt, as many swordmasters believed that a hilt heavy with gold or jewels was simply unneeded weight. The blade was brand new and nicely blued. It was a blade fresh from the forge. Two words:, _Sol Katti,_ were engraved on the blade.

Many of the FIERCE agents laid dead as she passed. But many more rebels had been taken with them. It was a cruel thing for the woman, who had just killed the very person that had raised her, to see all of this death. For the first time, she saw what Isaac had seen. Killing, death, massacring was not at all right. It was, in fact, one of the cruelest thigns you could ever do to a person.

Link had found Boss. She could feel it. Eliwood had ordered her to go help Link. And it was highly likely that Link had found Boss. She licked her lips, savoring the prospect of finally living up to the name her parents had set for her long ago, the name that she had refused to ponder living up to ever since she had been taken in by FIERCE.

And thus, she ran.

He was already in the office by the time she had kicked down the great wooden doors, grasping onto a sword that gleamed quite beautifully in its sheath. Long and thick with a deep purple hilt, the blade gave off a bluish tint, as if it had just come from the forge. But if the legends of the Master Sword held true, the weapon itself was over a thousand years old.

"Link," Lyn gasped as she charged in, quickly scanning the room for any sign of foreign movement. "I came as fast as I could! Do you need anything? Are you in pain? May I offer you an Elixir?"

The Chosen Hero was standing with his back to her, feet apart, one hand on the hilt of the sword. He was gazing out of the great windows that made up the back wall of Boss' office, a strange expression on his face that Lyn had not seen before. It was a mixture of longing and amusement, coupled by a spark in his cobalt eyes that she had never noticed back at the hidden base.

For a moment, Lyn couldn't help but wonder if Boss had somehow managed to disable him, as he wasn't moving at all from his position. But the rising and falling of his chest told her otherwise. Link was alive, healthy, and- she noticed this when she came in for a closer look- completely and immaculately clean. There was not a single drop of blood on him, not a single wound interrupted his flawless skin. Then, the entirety of the scene entered her consciousness and she became quite aware of one thing.

Where was Boss?

"Link…" Lyn whispered. "Link… wh-where… where's Boss?"

Again, the Hero did not answer, choosing instead to draw the Master Sword and gaze at his reflection within it. Lyn watched as the deep red light bounced off the blade, casting a sinister red glow upon the facial features of the Hylian. They stood out quite sharply, almost to the point where he looked more devil than man. Trembling, Lyn opened her mouth to speak again, but was silenced as soon as Link swung the blade in a powerful downward arch, cleaving the desk before him in two. He stood up again, gazing at the blade with wonder and admiration evident in his eyes.

And still, the spark was there.

"Beautiful, is it not, Lyndis?" he whispered, running a thumb along the flat of the blade. "So sharp it could cut the air to pieces… yet so versatile, it could be both a tool of justice…" he sheathed the blade and turned to her, eyes flashing. "And… and a weapon of evil."

"L-Link… where is Boss?" Lyn asked again, failing to keep her voice from shaking. For a moment, a shadow fell across Link's face, but it was soon cleared up, replaced only with a look of amusement. "Link, don't play games with me! Where is Boss?"

"Really, Lyndis? I thought you were more intelligent than that."

Lyn bit her lip, her hands curling into fists. Frustration welled up within her, as she gritted her teeth and faced the man she had come to look up to as the Rebel Leader, unable to believe that he was toying with her at such a crucial moment. After all, Boss could appear at any second and this man had the _gall_ to play games?

"Don't toy with me, Link! TELL ME WHERE BOSS IS!" she was taken quite aback by the demanding tone of her voice, the impatient edge. Link raised an eyebrow at her, then sighed, shaking his head.

"Lyndis, Lyndis, Lyndis… you truly are stupid, aren't you? Well, it seems that I have no choice but to _show_ you what I mean, do I?" he raised his left hand, revealing the mark of the Triforce of Courage upon the back of his palm. It glowed for a brief moment, temporarily blinding the young woman before the light disappeared. Link stood in front of her, a mere shadow of himself. He was colored in completely back save his wolf-like eyes, which had retained the all too familiar cobalt, soulless hue.

Lyn gasped, nearly dropping her sword as she took a step back from the monstrosity before her. "Y-You!"

Link, nay Boss, laughed. "Don't like what you see, Lyndis? Are you seriously that much of a Hero already?" his voice had taken on a much different quality. It was as if an edge had crept its way into it, giving the once gentle voice of the Hero the gruff, malicious edge of Boss'. "Amazing what the power of the Three Goddesses can do to you, eh?" the Triforce glowed once again, and Lyn now beheld him in his original form. However, the coldness of his eyes remained untouched, a malicious smile twisting his facial features.

_Codeame: Link _

"I-I don't understand!" Lyn stammered. "Wh-Why? H-How?"

"Why? Why and how, you ask?" Link sneered, letting out a barking laugh. "Because this world doesn't need any more pathetic little Heroes, Lyndis! You should know that by now! After all, it was you, was it not, who tried to uphold FIERCE's code for so long, only to be shot down for a position among the Smashers every single time you attempted to apply?" again, he laughed. "How your pathetic attempts amused me over the years, young Lyndis! How amusing indeed…" he took a deep breath. "You don't know… how long I have planned for this day, Lyndis. How long I have used the Triforce of Courage to be Boss and Link all at once. How when those pathetic Heroes thought that I was on missions, I was really here, being Boss. How the members of FIERCE believed that I was merely a recluse when really, I was 'rallying' the Heroes! All I have planned, all that I have worked for has led to up this day…" he licked his lips, his sneer widening as he leered at the young woman in front of him. "The last of the Heroes… all gathered within one place… all ready for the taking…" for the first time, Lyn noticed that there was a gem of some sort on the Master Sword, a ruby that glowed bright red even in the dim light. "One push of a button and this entire base will be blown to smithereens, taking every single Hero- and a couple of annoying FIERCE agents- with it. Is that not a beautiful thought, Lyndis? Bodies… dead bodies… everywhere… corpses for me to gloat over for the rest of eternity… FIERCE living on as each of my illegitimate children- those that I deem worthy, that is- take the throne…" again, he licked his lips. "Such a… _delicious_ thought…"

_Age: 57_

"You're mad," Lyn whispered.

Link laughed. "Mad, am I? Well then, Little Miss Hero, what's your choice? Shall you embrace the Code of FIERCE once again and live to tell the tale? Or shall you be yet another corpse upon which I shall celebrate my greatest victory?"

Anger swept through her, turning her vision red. How _dared_ he? He _dared_ he commit such a betrayal? It was one of the greatest crimes that any one man could ever commit and he had done such a thing for years upon years. He had betrayed the trust of comrades and was now going to wipe out the last hope that the world held.

There was only one answer she held for him.

_Preferred Weapon: Master Sword_

"You monster!" Lyn hissed as she lifted the Sol Katti, pointing it directly at her hated foe's heart. "I'LL SLICE YOU TO SMITHEREENS!" with that, she charged, aiming an overhead blow right for his next.

Link's Master Sword came up immediately and took the blow, flicking her blade away in order for him to aim a kick at her chest. She was thrown back against the wall, coughing up blood and Ashera knows what else. All the while, his mad laughter rang in her ears.

_Division: None_

With a cry loud enough to shake the earth, Lyn charged at her opponent, her sword a flashing wheel of light. Link easily deflected her blow before he began to rain overheads and sidecuts of his own upon her. Lyn desperately flicked her sword to and fro to block these cuts, now going on the defensive to avoid getting hit. With the speed of a viper she lunged desperately to the side, aiming an underhand slice right towards Link's sword-arm.

Link managed to sidestep just in time. The Master Sword described small, even circles in the air as Lyn charged again. The two blades clanged together as the two swordsmen glared at each other. Lyn's eyes flashed angrily as she pulled the sword from the lock just in time to block an underhand blow, followed by a right-side stab. Over and over this pattern repeated, with Link trying desperately to land a blow while Lyn quickly dodged each one.

_Position: Head of FIERCE_

Suddenly, Link changed tactics. He feinted an overhand cut, but immediately slammed the hilt of his sword into Lyn's stomach as she moved to block the attack. The wind knocked out of her, she collapsed to the ground. Before Lyn could so much as get up again, Link's heavy boot was upon her chest.

"Bastard!" she spat.

"Mani, Mani, Mani…" Link snickered. "How pathetic you truly are…" he raised his sword for the kill. "A death exactly like your parents… they would be so, so disappointed in how pathetically their daughter perishes…"

"I… am… LYNDIS!"

Her sword came up to meet the so-called Blade of Evil's Bane, surprising the Chosen Hero. Taking advantage of his momentary weakness, Lyn leaped to her feet and proceeded to cut and feint until her sword was nothing more than a spinning pinwheel of light. Lyn's blade flicked in and out of his defenses like a snake's tongue and, much to Link's amazement, he was forced to go into the defensive and was just barely keeping up. It didn't take long for him to realize that he wasn't facing a mere swordmaster.

He was facing a Trueblade.

They were legendary swordsmen, possessing talent that was above "natural" swordsmanship. In fact, it was said that one could only be a Trueblade if the blood of one flowed in their veins. They were extremely rare, but deadlier than the greatest poison in the world. If one faced a Trueblade in battle, there was almost no way one would survive.

Still desperately keeping up with her, Link lowered his sword to block an underhand, then flicked his sword to the right to intercept the right-hand sidecut that he _knew_ was coming. After all, swordsmen rarely changed their attacking patterns in the middle of the battle. All he had to do was learn it and soon enough, he would be their master.

Big mistake.

Her blade switched from a sidecut to a stab. The sword slammed into his chest, puncturing a large, gaping hole. He felt the warm blood gushing out of him like a geyser and knew.

He was going to die tonight.

But then, he saw a faint glimmer of hope.

An angel descended from the heavens, a single blade out and ready. Pit, his scarred face now sporting a brand new cut, aimed his sword just above Lyn's head and dove for the kill. Link felt a bubble rise within him as he saw Pit, his avenger, his _heir_, ready to murder the woman that had caused so much pain.

No!

Lyndis was fast, _too_ fast! She wrenched her sword from his body and raised it to block the angel just in time. Then, she proceeded to cut and slice, now forcing Pit into the defensive as well. Feeling his life slowly slipping away from him, Link summoned the last of his strength and threw it all into one last shout.

"PIT! GET OUT OF HERE! BEGIN FIERCE AGAIN!" he was seeing the angel at the end of a long, dark tunnel. "I name you… my heir…"

He watched in jubilation as Pit kicked Lyn in the stomach, spread his wings, and took off. The huge window behind Link's desk shattered as he charged through them. At this moment, he knew, Pit was already thinking of where to begin FIERCE again. He heard Lyn's cry of rage as she realized that the last of the FIERCE agents was ready to begin the organization again.

He saw her blade glinting above him, still stained red with blood. He saw her face, contorted with hatred, ready to murder him in cold blood.

Then let her, he thought, Let her kill me. But it won't matter. Pit's poison has already spread… soon, FIERCE will rise again!

He watched as the glittering blade descended, aimed right for his heart.

_Current Status: Deceased_

* * *

><p>Lyn wrenched the sword out of the man she had once called Boss, panting as she stared at her enemy's corpse. She heard running footsteps behind her, but didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Eliwood dahed into the room and stood next to her, his mouth hanging wide open as he took in Link's corpse.<p>

"Y-You… h-him…"

"… Pit got away, Eliwood…" Lyn said quietly. "He got away… with every intent to restart FIERCE…"

Eliwood placed a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder. "… And what shall you do…?"

_Name: Lyndis_

"I'm going to hunt him," she replied calmly. "I'm going to hunt him and prevent his poison from spreading… I'm going to hunt him even if it takes me a thousand years to find him…"

Eliwood nodded. "… A wise choice…"

_Age: 33_

"… And I'm coming with you."

Lyn whipped her head to look at her old friend. His battle-lined face was calm and impassive. Eliwood held her gaze with the calm that only a trained leader could possess. From the look in his eyes, Lyn knew that he was set and determined.

_Preferred Weapon: Sol Katti_

"But… what about Smashville?" Lyn asked. "Doesn't this city need you?"

Eliwood shook his head. "Smashville was in need of a Hero… and a Hero it received." his eyes twinkled slightly as he gazed at her. "_You_ were the Hero, Lyndis…" he smiled as he gently removed the Sol Katti from her grip and began cleaning it with the dark blue cape he wore around his shoulders. "But right now, the rest of the world needs a Hero as well… and Pit… Pit needs someone to set him straight."

_Division: Assist_

"… I hope you know that the journey shall be rough," Lyn said. In spite of herself, she grinned. "I don't want you complaining the whole way now, Eli." she took the Sol Katti back and sheathed it. "It'll be rough… but…" she felt slight warmth rise to her cheeks. "I'm glad you're coming along."

The older man laughed. "Same to you, Lyndis…" he looked at the shattered window. "… But… where shall we begin our search…?"

"It doesn't matter… but wherever we go, we'll be Heroes…"

Eliwood nodded. "Amen."

_Position: None_

Lyn walked to the shattered window and watched as the tiny dot that was Pit flew off into the distance. He seemed to be heading east- to Skyworld- where it was all too evident that he would attempt to start FIERCE again. It was Link's dying wish, she knew, that FIERCE would live on forever.

But if FIERCE lived on, so would they.

They were Heroes. Their purpose was to help the weak and innocent and to protect those that couldn't protect themselves. They were the last of the Heroes, the ones that would one day restore Smashville and its neighbors to peace and prosperity.

She knew not what journey lay ahead of her. She didn't even know whether or not she would survive this journey. But as long as Eliwood was by her side, she knew that all would be well.

It was what Eliwood wanted.

It was what her parents had wanted.

It was what Isaac had wanted.

_Current Status: Hero_


End file.
